While gum disease is the most common cause of bleeding gums, it’s not the only thing that bleeding gums indicate. If your gums bleed while you’re brushing or flossing more than two or three times a month, make an appointment with your dentist. They can evaluate your gums and help determine the cause of gingival bleeding, working with you to change destructive habits and referring you to a specialist or a medical doctor if the signs point to a systemic condition or larger cause. These underlying conditions may contribute directly to bleeding gums, or they may contribute to inflammation of the gum tissue that causes bleeding gums, and treatment approaches vary drastically.
For example, bleeding gums or visibly inflamed gums can be an early indicator of diabetes, which causes systemic inflammation and compromises the oral cavity’s ability to keep itself clean and the body’s ability to heal. Bleeding gums can also be an indicator of certain types of cancer, including leukemia, which affects the body’s ability to stop bleeding in certain areas that can include the gums. Other conditions that affect the blood platelets or interfere with the body’s ability to form blood clots, like hemophilia or thrombocytopenia, can contribute to excess bleeding in any part of the body and should be managed closely. Bleeding gums can also be a sign of severe vitamin deficiency, especially vitamins C and K. Usually, there are earlier signs of this deficiency, before the gums begin to bleed, and there are other symptoms in extreme cases. A dramatic deficiency in vitamin C is connected with scurvy, a rare condition that leads to anemia, extreme weakness, and excessive bruising, and a deficiency in vitamin K interferes with the body’s ability to clot properly.
Sometimes, the cause of bleeding gums is more external than systemic. It’s pretty common for people to brush their teeth with too much force, believing that what’s aggressive is actually thorough, and inadvertently injuring their gums as they brush. Similarly, there’s a right way to floss, and the wrong way can also injure the gums. Ask your dental hygienist to demonstrate the correct way to brush and floss, and work toward adopting and maintaining these healthier habits. Smoking and using other tobacco products wreak havoc on the gums, increasing the likelihood of gum disease and contributing to uncomfortable conditions like dry mouth or mouth sores, along with the myriad other health issues it leads to. Your doctor and even your dentist can help you find a smoking cessation method that will work for you.
Along with its other undesirable side effects, chemotherapy can also contribute to bleeding gums, as well as the development of painful, open sores in the oral soft tissues. Hormone fluctuations can also lead to bleeding gums, and many people report problems with the gums during times of hormonal tumult, like puberty or pregnancy, or when using certain hormonal birth control methods. In all of these cases, working closely with your dentist and with any other recommended medical providers can help you determine why your gums are bleeding and how you and your dentist or doctor can best stop it as you address your overall health.